Handle foe knives



(no Model.) 7

vJ. s. 85' A. RAY, HANDLE FOR KNIVES, FORKS, AND ANALOGOUS ABTIGLES. No.269,108. Patented 1360.12, 1882 bzesses l a Q 211 740110 %7 w/ fl fiwkmN. PETERS." moxum n mr. Wnh ngtun. D c

UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES s. RAY AND ASHBEL RAY, on EAST HAD'DAM, coNN.

HANDLE FOR KN|VES, FORKS,. AND ANALOGOUS ARTICLES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 269,108, dated'December12, 1882. Application filed May 8, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, JAMES S. RAY and AsHBELRAY, of East Haddam, in the county of Middlesex and State ofConnecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Handles forForks, Spoons, Knives, and other Articles of Table-Ware, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Our invention relates to the class of goods commonly known as flat ware,comprising knives, forks, spoons, ladles, nut-picks, 850.; and theprincipal object of our invention is to provide a very strong anddesirable handle for a knife, fork, or analogous article, which is madeof wire.

To this end our invention consists in a handle for a knife, fork, oranalogous article of fiat ware, composed of apiece of wire bent to forma'loop, and a wire or other brace extending lengthwise of said loop, andsecured therein by soldering or brazing at the spring and bow of theloop only.

In the accompanying drawings we have represented several articles offiat ware, all of which embody our invention.

Figure 1 is a three-pronged fork. Fig. 2 is a four-pronged fork. Fig. 3is a four'pronged fork of slightly modified construction. Fig. 4

is a nut-pick. Fig. 5 is a knife-handle, and- Fig. 6 is-a spoon.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

Referring first to Fig. 1, A A designate the two outer tines or prongs.B designates the inner or middle tine or prong. G designates the outercontour of the handle, and D designates a brace which extends lengthwisethrough the handle, the parts 0 and D froming together a skeleton handlefor the fork. The two outer tines or prongs, A, and the outor contour orsides, 0, of the handle are composed of a single piece of iron, steel,or-other wire. This wireis bent atabout the middle of its length to forma loop for the handle. Beyond the loop its two portions extend nearlyparallel and at a little distance apart to form the shank E, and beyondthe shank the two portions of the wire are bent outward or diverge, soas to give the outer pron-gs or tines the proper spread. The middle tineor prong,

- B, and the brace D are formed of a single piece of wire soldered orbrazed at a to the rounded bow ot'theloop, and extendingthrough theshank E, beyond which it is prolonged to form the tine or prong. Thethree portions of all soldered or brazed together to strengthen brace Dis therefore soldered in the loop at the spring thereof.

Referringnowto Fig.2,it willbeobserved that the outer or outside tinesor prongs, A, and the outer contour, O, of the handle are formed of asingle piece of wire, which is looped and bent, as before described. Thetwo inner or intermediate tines or prongs F are formed of a piece ofwire, which is bent into proper shape so that its end portions areparallel, and is secured between the outer tines by solder or brazing.The shank E is formed solely by soldering or brazing together the twoportions of the wire which form the outer tines, A,and the brace Dextends only from end to end of the loop.

The fork shown in Fig. 3 differs from that shown in Fig. 2 only in thatthe brace D is The nutpick shown in Fig. 4 is composed of two pieces ofwire, one of which is bent to form a loop, 0, and the outer of whichforms a brace, D, and is soldered or brazed to the rounded bow of theloop at a. The brace D is secured between the end portions of thefirstmentioned wire in the spring of the loop by brazing or soldering,and is prolonged to form a tine or prong, B.

ofa loop, (3, made of. one piece of wire, and a brace, D, which issoldered or brazed at one end to the bow of the loop at a,and has itsopposite end secured by solder or brazing be tween the end portions ofthe looped wire at the spring of the loop.

The handle of the spoon shown in Fig. 6 is also composed of a loop, 0,formed of one piece of wire, and a brace, D, secured to the loop at a bysoldering or brazing.

Although either soldering or brazing may be used to connect the severalparts of theforks and handles before described, we prefer the former, asthe wire will not then be annealed, as it would be by brazing.

These articles may be plated or otherwise finished, and are also verydesirable, for the wire which combine to-form the shank E are i the forkand give it proper rigidity, and 'the continued through the shank E, asin Fig. 1. it

The knife-handle shown in Fig. 5 is composed reason that when theplating wears off the iron .ticle, composed of a piece of wire bent toform or steel wire does not become poisonous by cora loop, and a braceextending lengthwise of rosion. said loop and secured therein by beingso]- We do not here claim the fork having its dered or brazed at thespring and bow of the 5 tines or prongs formed as herein described; looponly, substantially as herein described.

but such feature may form the subject of JAMES S. RAY.

another application for Letters Patent. ASHBEL RAYi What we claim as ourinvention, and desire" Witnesses:

to secure by Letters Patent, ist F. L. RAY,

10 A handle for a knife, fork, or analogous ar- JULIUS ATTWOOD.

